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Tuesday, September 20, 2005

From Katrina To Rita

It's hard to believe what a difference a few days makes. Officials in Galveston, having learned from Katrina, are evacuating those without transportation from the city in buses. A couple of coastal counties have also called for voluntary evacuations.

Although the projected strike area for Rita encompasses the entire Texas coast and part of Louisiana, it is still too early to really know whether the Houston area will be affected. Nonetheless, the mega-Katrina shelters in Houston are being closed today: evacuees are being bused to Ellington AFB for travel to Ft Smith in Arkansas, or one-way flight to the city of their choice in the continental US. The Astrodome and the Reliant and Brown convention centers are not safe as storm shelters, so the mayor was determined to get the evacuees out. The Texas governor recalled the Texas National Guard from Louisiana yesterday, in case they are needed here.

Water is in short supply in the supermarkets already as there is an element of panic going around. We're all trying to keep our cool--literally--the temperature is in the high 90's. Which is good! That's because the high pressure system that produces the heat will also keep Rita away from us, if it stays in place long enough.

Here's an update on the Bethel Ministries evacuees our church was helping: half the family left to stay with relatives in Cincinnati Ohio and the rest are expected to go to Detroit in the next day or two. Bethel would not be a safe place to weather a hurricane, either, so it's good that they are able to leave. The evacuees being cared for by St. Paul's are living in hotel rooms, and should be fine there.

We're all pretty distracted by the prospect, as you can imagine. And I need to find something to blog about besides hurricanes and their aftermath!